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A lot of you may have heard of the German brand, Zoeva, which is known for its phenomenal makeup brushes. Well, they do amazing eyeshadows aswell!! Recently, I got my hands on their newest palette – the Cocoa Blend Palette which is inspired by chocolates ofcourse. It looked too divine for me to pass! It’s a versatile palette and you can do a number of different looks with it. I went for a taupe and gold smokey eye today perfect for a party or night. I’m pretty sure you will be seeing me use this palette a lot more in the future.

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1. Firstly with a fluffy crease brush, I applied Substitute of Love (see pic above for reference) in a windshield wiper motion back and forth as a transition shade on my crease and upper crease.

2. Then with a denser crease brush, I applied Freshly Toasted on my socket area (crease) and went back and forth from the outer crease to the inner crease.

3. Then I took Delicate Acidity on a flat shader brush and sprayed Fix + (water or any face mist) to dampen the brush for a more intense pay off from the eyeshadow. I applied that shade all over my lid stopping right where the crease starts.

4. Then with a dense crease brush, I took Beans Are White and started darkening the crease especially concentrating on the outer corner. Then I took it all the way towards the inner crease and inner corner and slightly darkened that area aswell. Don’t forget to blend and take a little at a time. With dark eyeshadows it’s important to keep on adding color as you go rather than packing a whole lot of color in one go. Remember: you can add but it’s hard to take away!

5. After everything is blended out, I added Pure Ganache on a damp brush for intense payoff and dabbed it on the middle of the lid. Afterwards if you think the gold has taken away too much of the taupe you can go ahead and add more of the taupe. For more intensity on the middle, I added Australis Metallix cream shadow in Gold Gaga to achieve that slightly metallic finish.

6. I added Sweeter End on the browbone and as a inner corner highlight. I lined my lashes and made a wing. Applied mascara and falsies : House of Lashes Iconic. On the lower lash line, I applied Beans Are White on the outer and inner corner with a pencil brush smudging it close to the lash line. Then on the middle I applied Delicate Acidity. I blended it out with a little bit of Freshly Toasted. I applied a nude eyeliner on the waterline and mascara on the bottom lashesh.

A lot of you has asked me questions about my foundation routine/application and so I’d like to share with you this one very simple trick that has totally amped up my foundation application! I first heard the ‘makeup god’ Wayne Goss talk about this a few months ago and I knew right away, I had to try this out! This tip can benefit all different skin types but I think it’s particularly good for normal to dry skin. A lot of you ladies with dry skin will agree that we suffer a lot with foundation application (especially during winter) when it comes to patchiness, not being able to blend properly, or foundations catching dry areas. Well this tip will change your life!

For beautiful smooth application and a natural and radiant glow, all you have to do is add one or two drops of any face oil to your foundation before you apply. This is for liquid and cream foundations and when doing this trick, I usually stick to silicone based foundations because I’m afraid that the oil might not mix well with water-based foundations. You will instantly notice that the makeup application is so much smoother and the foundation is so much more blendable. It will give a beautiful radiance to your face and since it will blend so well, your foundation will look very natural just like skin. You can ofcourse powder it, if you do not prefer the glow.

You can use any facial oil. I personally use Argan Oil or Jojoba Oil. Other options are almond oil or rosehip oil or any oil made for the face.

If you have oily skin, you can still do this trick. It’s a misconception that oily skinned girls/guys can’t use oil. Our skin tend to produce extra sebum when it’s dehydrated, so using oil as a moisturiser is not a bad thing for oily skin. That being said, I won’t recommend thicker oils like almond oil. I would say, for oily skin, thinner oils like jojoba or rosehip are good options. If you are extremely scared of using oils, then you can try something like an argan oil moisturiser.

Hope you guys try this trick and do let me know if it made a difference to your foundation application! XOXO

Today’s post is just a quick swatcharama and first impressions sort of post. I think this is one of the very few if not only post without my face plastered all over it but I wanted to quickly talk about this awesome ‘bronzer wardrobe’ I got last week before I started using it! The brand Too Faced is known for their bronzers especially the chocolate soleil range and what’s crazy is that I didn’t own a Too Faced bronzer! I had my eye on the Chocolate Soleil for ages now. The city I live in don’t have a Kit Cosmetics or Mecca Maxima (which sell Too Faced in Oz) but everytime I went past a Kit Cosmetics in Melbourne or Sydney, I stopped and swatched the bronzer. For some reason though, I’ll always get distracted and not end up buying it. So when I saw Too Faced came out with this LIMITED EDITION Little Black Book of Bronzers (49 USD/ 65 AUD) featuring mini sizes of 8 of their bronzers, I totally freaked! I had to have it! I think it’s a really cool way for people to try out some of Too Faced’s iconic bronzers and if they get hooked on a particular one (or few) they can go buy a full size. For a medium skin toned gal like me, I think this bronzer wardrobe provides quite a few options from contouring to bronzing to getting the glow! I think light skin toned ladies will love it also but unfortunately deeper skin tones might not find something suitable in this collection. Can we talk about the packaging though?!! So cute!! And it also comes with this adorable weekly guide to which bronzer is appropriate for what day of the week and what event!

Each bronzer contains 0.08 oz of product which is quite small compared to the 0.35 oz of product on the full size bronzers. I still think it’s a fabulous buy because you get to try so many different types of bronzers in one go! And did I mention, they smell divine! Especially the Chocolate Soleil range! They actually smell like chocolate! YUM!

SWATCHES:

Milk Chocolate Soleil:

A lighter version of Chocolate Soleil (cult fave) that creates a more subtle, all-over warmth, perfect for those with lighter skin tones (according to Too Faced). As you can see, this one barely showed up on my skin. I think I can use as a all over powder with a big fluffy brush to slightly warm up my skin but this one’s great for the fairer dames out there!

Chocolate Soleil:

Antioxidant-rich, cocoa powder-infused matte bronzer that works on all skin tones, perfect for everyday contouring and creating an all-over deep tan (according to Too Faced). I agree with them when they say, it’s perfect for contouring because it has a slightly grey undertone to it. It does not pull too warm or too cool and I think it’s a great contour for light-medium-tan skin tones. I’m not too sure about the ‘working on all skin tones’ bit though!

Dark Chocolate Soleil (NEW):

A darker version of Chocolate Soleil that’s perfect for more sculpted contouring, creating a more dramatic, deep matte bronzed look(according to Too Faced). I found this one quite warm and I think tanner girls with warm tones can use it for contouring. I personally will use it for bronzing and warming up the face in conjunction with my contour.

Snow Bunny:

Four luminous shades blend together for just the right amount of sun-kissed, natural radiance. I actually quite liked it when swatching (according to Too Faced). It can be a really nice bronzy gold highlight for me though it is quite shimmery. I think deeper skin tones will like it as a nice goldy highlight.

Pink Leopard:

Trio of skin-brightening and bronzing pigments that combine for a glorious all-over glow (according to Too Faced). I think this one is a really nice pinky bronze that can be used as a highlight as well and I don’t think I have any shade quite like it in my collection. I’m excited to try this one!

Beach Bunny:

Custom-blend bronzer combines four sun kissed shades for a skin perfecting, summertime tan any time of year (according to Too Faced). It’s quite similar to Snow Bunny, a little less pink and more bronzy. It’s great to achieve a nice bronzy glow on tanned skin during the summer – that epic bronzed beach babe look!

Endless Summer:

Stay all day universal bronzer creates a lit-from-within bronzed glow that lasts 16-hours or more (according to Too Faced). This bronzer has a satin finish but it’s not shimmery like some of the others but not totally matte like the soleil range. I think it will provide a bit more dimension to the face rather than completely falling matte. Not at all an universal color though.

Sun Bunny:

Original bronzer features slight pink undertone in the dual shade palette that mimics the flush of a real tan (according to Too Faced). I think just like the Beach Bunny, this one will be great to achieve that bronzed bombshell look giving a warm radiant glow as the sun hits your face!

So there you go ladies, my first impressions of all 8 bronzers included in this kit! I totally recommend this especially if you have been wanting to try out a new bronzer or were unsure of which Too Faced bronzer you should buy! But Hurry, it’s limited edition!!!!

Today I’ll be swatching some of the lipsticks from Gerard Cosmetics ($19). I own 5 shades: French Toast, Berry Smoothie, Underground, 1995 and Cherry Cordial. Before we get on to the swatches, can we just talk about that packaging! These gold tubes are just beautiful and so classy! Brownie points to Gerard Cosmetics for coming up with such rad packaging! Read till the end for a coupon code!

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FRENCH TOAST:

An earthy brown shade, reminds me of fall. It has a creamy finish so it leaves sort of a sheen on the lips. To make it matte though you can just dab your lips with some tissue. It’s pretty comfortable to wear but since it’s a creamy finish, it has a weak lasting power and transfers easily.

BERRY SMOOTHIE:

A medium pink shade with subtle mauve undertones. It’s a very pretty everyday shade. It also has a creamy finish and therefore staying power is weak. Pretty comfortable to wear.

UNDERGROUND:

It’s a grey toned brown with a hint of lavender/pink. Grey lipsticks have been all the rave lately and in my opinion Underground is one of the more wearable ones. SInce it has lavender undertones, it does not look too bad on my tan skin. It has more of a satin finish and therefore doesn’t leave too much of a sheen. I will recommend getting rid of any pigmentation on your lips with foundation or concealer before applying this shade.

1995:

It is a brown lipstick with mauve undertones inspired by the 90’s brown lip. This lipstick was made in collaboration with youtuber Jaclyn Hill (love her!) and I think is the perfect addition to the brown lip trend brought back by Kylie Jenner ofcourse! I love this lipstick, I wear it to death and it’s my favorite of all the ones I own from Gerard Cosmetics. It’s a matte so it can be a bit drying. Staying power is a bit better than the others but I still have to reapply throughout the day.

CHERRY CORDIAL

It’s a dark berry shade. I was a bit disappointed with this in terms of pigmentation. You have to apply it or swatch it a few times to get an intense pay off and it can go on a bit patchy. It is a semi-matte/satin finish.

FRENCH TOAST VS 1995:

I thought I should do a side by side of French Toast and 1995 since at first glance they look quite similar. From the pictures you can see that French Toast is a lot warmer and peachy toned whereas 1995 is darker and more mauve toned.

So this concludes my swatcharama of the Gerard Cosmetics lippies! They can seem a bit pricey at $19 but I always buy them at cheaper prices because they are always having amazing sales. Right now they are having a 4th of July sale where you can get 4 lippies for only $38 and free worldwide shipping! That’s less than $10 each! Coupon code: 4thpack

I felt like wearing purple lips and the perfect purple lipstick is the oh so famous MAC Heroine. I came up with this look to complement the purple. It’s simple and pretty cool toned and all the eyeshadows I used are from the UD Naked Palette with the exception of a bronzer on my crease.

EYES

Eyeshadows from the Urban Decay Naked Palette:

Pictorial:

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1. After priming my lid, I mixed UD Buck and Benefit Hoola bronzer and applied it on my crease and outer crease with a fluffy brush.

2. Then with a denser crease brush, I applied UD Hustle on my crease and outer corner. I used a windshield wiper motion and took the eyeshadow all the way to the inner corner of the crease.

3. Then on a wet brush, I used UD Sidecar on my lid.

4.Then I applied UD Creep to darken the outer corner and crease. Make sure you blend blend!

5. I applied a nude eyeliner on my waterline and added a little bit of Hustle and Creep on the bottom lash line. I applied UD Virgin on my tear duct area and brow bone.

6. I lined my eyes with Inglot gel liner in # 77 and made a thick line with a wing. Applied mascara on the top and bottom lashesh and then falsies : Red Cherry # 47

So this morning just before I left for work, the mailman arrived and brought me these goodies. I bought two of the LA Splash Lip Coutures and two of the Smitten LipTints (13.98 USD). They are all sort of on the nude, brown, mauve family. Since the whole Kylie Jenner 90’s lip trend started, all I can think about are these shades! And there’s a grey one aswell!

Before I get on with the swatches, let me talk about the differences between the two. So obviously these are liquid lipsticks. Formula-wise, there is a very subtle difference. I felt the Liptint Mousse were a little bit thicker like a mousse (hence the name) and the Lip Coutures were a bit more liquidy. It’s very subtle, hardly noticeable. They are both very pigmented and dries matte. I did notice the Liptints were a bit harder to take off. They can be very drying on the lips so your lips have to be very well exfoliated and moisturised. They are very longlasting. I wore Lovegood today for about 6 hours and it didn’t feather much.

They do have a odd smell. Almost unbearable! Sort of like bug spray I try to hold my breath while applying the product but once it’s on your lips the smell goes away.

The wands/applicators are different aswell. The Lip Coutures have a slimmer more elongated tip while the Liptint Mousse have a more traditional doe – foot applicator. Surprisingly I like the elongated one better. I find it’s easier to carve out my lips with the elongated shape.

If I had to choose my favorite shade I’ll say Latte Confession. I think it’s super wearable and I see myself wearing it a lot. I love both Lovegood and Nymph-adora aswell. My least favorite is OG Ghoulish. I initially wanted to buy the normal Ghoulish but they were out of stock. That one has a pinker more mauve tone to the taupe color whereas this one is a lot more grey.

Overall I really like them. The formula is a bit drying but they are very long lasting. Also if you can get past the smell, then they are a pretty good buy. The color range is amazing aswell. I can’t wait to get some more shades!!

So as you can see today’s look is perfect for your weekly grocery run and everyday chores – so natural and simple NOT! Haha didn’t mean to shock you guys there but just checkin to see if ya’ll are paying attention! So actually as you can tell from the photo and the title of this post that this look is a bit unconventional using contrasting tones on the eyes and the lip. I love the look of clashing colors especially the contrast between warm orangey tones versus really cool toned pinks. I’m quite pleased with how this came out and ofcourse it’s not everyone’s cuppa tea and that’s completely okay – makeup is art and all about experimenting and that’s what I love about it!

So let’s get on with the pictorial!!

EYES

The eyeshadow I used for your reference:

Pictorial:

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1. After priming my lid, I mixed a matte lighter yellowish orange shade and a deeper more true orange shade (Makeup Geek Chickadee and Inglot 383) and applied it all over the upper crease in a windshield wiper motion with fluffy crease brush. You have to make it as blown out as possible.

2. I decided to apply a little bit of a matte yellow shade (Inglot 323) just on top of where I applied the orange colors and blend it out. Then I applied Anastasia Beverly Hills Morocco, which is a warm terracotta brown, on my crease with a denser crease brush. I swiped it from the outer to inner corner of the crease.

3. Once everything is nicely blended out, I applied Makeup Geek Foiled eyeshadow in FlameThrower, which is a super shimmery copper with a foiled finish, on my lid. I dampened my brush for it to get maximum intensity. Then I blended out the edges for a seamless transition with the crease colors.

4. Then I applied Anastasia Deep Plum on both my outer and inner corner to darken these areas and blended upwards towards the crease. Blend Blend Blend – go ahead and apply a little bit more if you have to at this point.

5. For more dimension, I applied a pop of shimmery orangey gold (MAC Melon pigment) on the centre of my lid.

6. I highlighted my brow bone and inner corner with a pale shimmery gold shade (Anastasia Legend). I lined my waterline with a gold eye pencil. On the bottom lashline, I darkened the outer corner with some Deep Plum and then placed Melon pigment in the middle and Legend on the inner corner. Blended it all out with Chickadee and Inglot 383. I curled my lashes, applied mascara to top and bottom lashes and then applied falsies : Koko lashes in Risque.